Fermented Foods: #1 Mistake + Sauerkraut Recipe

Welcome to fall. Spooky season, pumpkin spice latte season, back-to-it season…But what about preserving the local harvest season? And one way to preserve the local harvest is through fermenting foods.

Fermented foods are found in most cultures around the world. People first started fermenting foods as a method of preservation before refrigeration. Here’s a little list of some foods which are (or used to be) fermented: cheese, chocolate, kefir, kimchi, kombucha, miso, pickles, salami, sauerkraut, sourdough bread, tempeh, wine/ beer/ cider, vinegar and yogurt.

If you’re a fermented food newbie, sauerkraut is probably the simplest to make (yes, I’m a little biased considering I’m Ukrainian), but here’s my sauerkraut recipe to get you started. Enjoy!

What you need:

• 1 medium cabbage, about 2 lbs (try half red, half green cabbage for a bright pink kraut)

• 1-2 Tbsp sea salt

What you do:

• Finely chop cabbage reserving one outer leaf.

• Add cabbage to a large bowl and sprinkle with 1 Tbsp salt. Massage cabbage for 5-10 minutes to draw out water.

• Once there is lots of liquid collected at the bottom of the bowl. Try adding more salt 1 tsp at a time if you find you don’t have enough liquid.

• Pack the mixture into a 1 L mouth mason jar. Pressing down firmly to ensure the cabbage is fully submerged. Top off the jar with the reserved cabbage leaf to keep any pieces from floating. Weight is necessary and secure lid or cover with a tight knit cloth.

• Leave the sauerkraut at room temperature for 1-2 weeks until sour to your liking. Skimming any bubbles off the surface daily and ensuring the cabbage is still submerged.

• Once it reaches your desired sourness, refrigerate for up to 1 year.

Photo by Polina Tankilevitch on Pexels.

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